


Pocky game

by Sunflowerhanamaru



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 15:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12684882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunflowerhanamaru/pseuds/Sunflowerhanamaru
Summary: Ruby raises a hand shyly. Dia smiles and gestures for her to talk. “You said we would shoot on the 11th, right?” Dia nods. “So, the 11/11? Shouldn’t we expect some kind of… Po-pocky game?”OrAqours shoot a TV show on pocky day





	Pocky game

Dia had been glowing all day, clearly impatient to announce some really big news and hadn’t spilled the truth despite Kanan’s and Mari’s constant nagging. She had just told everyone to gather in the club’s room the second their classes would be over and had ignored them all day, head high and a little smile playing on her lips.

Dia isn’t even in the room when Riko, You and Chika enter, breathless from running to not be late for the announcement: her chair is empty and the poor Ruby is cornered by an impatient Yohane who’s certain she already knows and is keeping it from them.

The door slams shut behind Dia and everyone turn to look at her, Yohane releasing Ruby from her death grip with a little scared noise. Dia doesn’t even react; it seems she’s too excited about whatever news she’s bearing to care about her bandmates’ shenanigans. She goes straight to the whiteboard and grabs her red marker, writes in enormous letters before turning proudly to her audience.

“TV?” Asks You.

“TV?” Repeats Kanan.

“What about TV?” Frowns Hanamaru. “I don’t even have one.”

Riko notices the corner of Dia’s mouth twitching: even her happiness can’t help her stay calm for too long when the girls are acting out. She turns around and uncap her marker again.

“Aqours on TV?” The girls are unanimous this time, Riko just has stunned as everyone. Dia nods proudly. She looks like a cat who just brought home the biggest dead bird; it looks a little more than scary. 

“Following our big win at the qualifiers, we received an invitation for an idol emission on TV. A national broadcast! I said yes.”

“A national broadcast! How exciting! When will we shot it?” Asks Mari. It might be the first time she doesn’t sleep through their meeting; Riko is impressed.

“It will be in two weeks, saturday 11th.”

“Will we perform?” Chika is so excited Riko can feel her leg almost vibrate against hers. She puts a hand in her arm in hope it will calm her a little.

“As we’re invited to celebrate our win, they want us to perform My Mai tonight.” Says Dia. “It has the added bonus of let us showcase my genius little sister’s costumes.” Ruby blushes. Kanan jabs at Dia’s ribs. “And, of course, our members beautiful lyrics and melodies!” Adds Dia belatedly. 

“So, what will happen?” Asks Hanamaru. “I’ve never watch a idol emission before. A performance and then what? Will they interview us?”

“I don’t have all the informations so far.” Explains Dia. “We will start with the performance and follow-up with an interview and games.”

“What type of games?” Yohane scratches her head. “I’m not good at games. I always lose!”

“I don’t know the details yet, except that it will be a competition between sub-units. The winning team will gain food and the losers will get a forfeit. They usually make their guests play dance-off and games to know how much they know each others, like questions about the other members, or game where you have to guess the same things as your bandmates. That type of thing.” 

Ruby raises a hand shyly. Dia smiles and gestures for her to talk. “You said we would shoot on the 11th, right?” Dia nods. “So, the 11/11? Shouldn’t we expect some kind of… Po-pocky game?”

“Pocky game?” Squeals Riko. It’s the first time she talks and she blushes when everyone turn to look at her.

“Don’t you know what pocky game is, Riko-chan?” Asks Mari with faux-concern in her voice. “I can show you.” She says, picking up a pencil and putting it between her teeth. She turns to Dia, who pushes her away.

“That’s unhygienic and frankly stupid. Don’t eat your pencil.”

Mari shrugs. “It’s yours, not mine.” Dia makes a face. “And Riko needs to learn because we! Have! To Win!” She hand-fives Yohane.

“Like hell you’ll win.” Yells You. “We’ll crush your sorry asses!” Ruby squeals.

Kanan raises her eyebrows. “You wish. Azalea will exterminate you: no one can beat Hanamaru-chan when there’s food to win.”

Hanamaru nods. “I guess the meeting is over.” She whispers to Riko. “Don’t worry too much, Riko-chan.”

Riko catches the worried glance Chika sends her way.

 

“Riko-chan” Greets Chika when Riko passes the door of her bedroom. “Why didn’t you used the balcony?”

Riko rolls her eyes and doesn’t answer. She will never go around running on the roof like Chika always does and honestly she thinks it’s safer of her to do so. She sits on the floor next to Chika instead, takes a plush in her arms without thinking. “Why did you needed me then?”

Chika takes a plastic bag on the carpet and rummages through it, takes a couple of pocky boxes out of it and places them between Riko and her. “I didn’t knew what flavor you’d prefer so I took a little of everything.” She says, looking proud. “What do you chose?” 

Riko freezes. “What do I chose.” She repeats. “What do I chose for what?” Chika smiles gently and pats her hand.

“I could tell you were nervous about the game.” She says. “You’re afraid Mari-chan and Yoshiko-chan will be angry at you if you fail, don’t you?”

Yes, thinks Riko, of course, she’s afraid of losing. She’s afraid of losing, not of having to almost-kiss one of her bandmates. Not of having to almost-kiss maybe-Chika, on national television. 

Chika opens a box of chocolate pockys and slips one between still-unmoving-Riko’s lips. “Don’t move, okay? You’ll see, it’s really easy.” 

Riko squeals and turns her head the second Chika leans in. Chika laughs and repositions the biscuit.

Chika leans in. Riko squeals and turns her head.

Chika leans in. Riko squeals and smacks her shoulder without thinking.

Chika leans in. Riko squeals, hits her forehead and drops the pocky on the floor.

“Oi…” Complains Chika, rubbing her forehead sadly. “Riko-chan, you hurt me.”

“I’m sorry!” Riko takes Chika’s head in her hands and splits her bangs to study her sore forehead. “Is it really painful?” Chika shakes her head. Riko sighs and rubs Chika’s skin. “I don’t think I can play that game at all. Seeing you coming that close stresses me too much.”

“I know!” Chika slaps her own forehead, winces when she realizes it still hurts. “I know! If you can’t handle me coming close to you, maybe you should do it!” She tears open another box of pockys and places one between her teeth. “Come on!” She says around the snack.

Riko leans in. Chika closes her eyes. Riko squeals and lets herself fall on the floor.

“I can't. I absolutely can't. Can't we just hope we will not play this game and eat the pockys in a normal way instead?”

“The normal way is no fun!” Pouts Chika. “But I don't want you to be uncomfortable, Riko-chan. Open up?”

Riko opens her mouth without thinking and freezes again when Chika pops the pocky she was biting on in her mouth.

 

“Now, the last question of our Sub-Unit mind guessing game!” Announces the host with a very bright smile. “But before that, let’s take a look at the scores!” Hanamaru’s, Dia’s and Kanan’s heads appear on screen. “Azalea is first, with twenty-seven points! Followed by Guilty Kiss, twenty-two points! And CYaRon, twenty-one points! Seems like the last question will determine your fate! Now, girls, here’s your question.” The screen changes color, stars exploding in its center to reveal the last question. “What’s the one thing Christmas evokes to you? Oh, good question!” 

Riko looks down at her blank slate, her mind racing. Azalea are far ahead and she already knows they will win, but CYaRon and Guilty Kiss are in a tie and Riko doesn’t want to lose. They had started the round of game well enough: they had clearly dominated the 2x speed dance challenge and had done honorably at the lip syncing one. The mind guessing game had been their downfall: CYaRon’s members were naturally on the same page and Azalea’s smart enough to predict each other’s answers. Riko had tried too to guess Mari’s and Yoshiko’s answers but the girls are too unpredictable for the trick to work: even when Riko succeeds in guessing one the third girl inevitably writes something widely different.

But they’re on a fine line, here: Riko’s well aware of it. She glances at CYaRon, the three girls looking serene and at her own sub-unit members who seem scarily inspired. The timer beep. “ten seconds, girls!” Riko scribbles without a second thought.

“Should we show your answers? Azalea?” The girls turn their slates, all three with a big ‘food’ written on them. Hanamaru’s is decorated with little doodles of candy canes and hearts. The host and the audience laugh when the cameraman zoom in on it. 

“That’s one more point for Azalea! I think we know who our winners are…” Kanan does her best to hide her pride, but Riko already knows she’s going to hear about it for at least one week afterwards. “CYaRon now?” Ruby, You and Chika turn their slates at the same time and squeal when they see each other’s answers.

“Presents!” Announces You proudly.

“As expected from our childish Sub-unit.” Comments the host. “It’s one more point for you!” On the screen, the shiny twenty-one changes to a twenty-two. “Now, Guilty kiss?”

Mari and Yoshiko turn their slates and Riko almost scream in frustration: the one time those two are on the same page had to be the one time Riko wrote her own thing. It’s not like she could have written the same thing as them, anyway, even if she had guessed right.  
The audience is oh-ing and ah-ing at Mari’s and Yoshiko’s big ‘lovers!’ ideograms. 

“Two out of three!” Says the host. “Seems like Riko-chan was actually in sync with Azalea on that one, but that won’t help Guilty kiss’ score! Let’s take a look at the screen....”

A little animation shows a factice podium. The tiny pictures of Dia, Kanan and Hanamaru appear on the first step, little gold crown drawn on their heads. The other six girls’ representations share the second step, making the host coo.

“We have a tie! Time for our very last game to determine the loser.” She smiles and Riko instantly understand what is going to happen. “You know what day it is, right?” 

“Pocky day!” Roars the crowd, encouraged by Mari and You.

“Pocky day!” Confirms the host. “Here, girls, take a stick each. The one who will pick the marked one will have to compete in a pocky duel to save her team.”

Riko knows she should keep an impassible expression but she fears her panic is clear on her face. Mari rubs her back the most discreetly possible.

“Chika-chan will be CYaRon’s contestant!” Chika is waving her marked stick, her expression sheepish.

“At least I’ll get to eat even if we lose!” She laughs. You shoves her shoulder and Ruby seems ready to cry from relief.

The jar with the sticks is passed to Yoshiko. She holds it for everyone to see. ‘On three!” She says. Riko closes her eyes when she takes one.

“Riko-chan!” Cries the host before she has time to open them again. “You two are close friends, what an interesting match!”

“Can we chose the type of pocky we want?” Chika seems relaxed, totally unafraid of the game. Riko feels like her heart wants to leap out of her chest; she hates Chika a little for being so unbothered when all she wants is to run and hide. She’s so annoyed, actually, that she suddenly feels her need to win spike up.  
She’s not good enough to make Chika nervous to play the pocky game against her, eh? Chika will see, then. 

Mari must be feeling her determination because she leans against her to whisper in her ear. “Don’t exterminate her, right? Play nice.” Riko nods, still watching Chika. She will play by the rules, alright.

Two chairs are arranged in the center of the stage for them and an assistant give them a brand new box of pockys. Chika takes one and places it between her lips ceremonially, making a show out of it for the camera. She smiles at Riko around the biscuit, eyebrows raised slightly. She’s challenging me, realizes Riko. She really doesn't think Riko is able to do it. Riko smirks in answer and does her best to glance at Chika from under her eyelashes. She can see Chika flinching almost imperceptibly and it fills her with determination. Game on.

Riko holds Chika’s chin with her fingers; she feels a little like she’s in one of her doujinshis and it’s almost enough to make her break character but the slight blush Chika is sporting (probably invisible for the camera, only there for Riko.) gives her the necessary push to bite in the pocky.   
Chika tries to retreat just a little but she’s kept into place by Riko’s light hand. Riko takes a deep breath and bites once more. And once again. And again. Their lips are mere millimeters apart now and Riko’s eyes fall shut without her consent. Chika is breathing hard close to her and before Riko has time to register everything (The taste of the snack, the warmth of Chika, so close to her, her delicate scent, the heartbeat she feels at the end of her fingers (her’s? Chika’s?)) Chika is already leaning back.

“We lost?” She says, clearly trying to sound unaffected. Riko remembers suddenly they’re on camera, broadcasted live on national television, and she leans back too. She’s blushing, probably, but fortunately Yoshiko jumps between the camera and her to congratulate her, engulfing Mari and her in a hug.

 

“Revenge?” 

The car is quiet, all the girls asleep but for Chika, who’s waving another box of pocky in front of Riko. She had squeezed herself next to Riko on the car, even disturbing Ruby who had already settled on the seat, and Riko had done her best not to look at her.

“What?” She asks, blinking stupidly.

“You tricked me, Riko-chan, making me believe you couldn’t play. I want a revenge.”

“Do you, now?”

Chika nods and places the biscuit between Riko’s lips. Before she has time to think Chika has already eaten all of it and is kissing Riko, for real. It doesn’t last more than a couple of second: when Riko opens her eyes Chika is studying her, her blush more visible on her bare face.

“I just wanted an excuse to kiss you.” She admits quietly, suddenly shy. Riko takes another pocky from the box and gives it to Chika.

“Here. Another excuse for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked that fic! If you want to talk about Chikariko, you can find me on [my blog!](https://sunflowerhanamaru.tumblr.com/)


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